Closing Time: Red Sox bats go silent once again in loss to Yankees

NEW YORK — For the first time as a major league starter, Brandon Workman allowed more than three runs. But you really couldn’t pin this one on him.

The Red Sox bats went silent once again, this time being blanked for 5 2/3 innings by a pitcher, Yankees starter Vidal Nuno, who carried a 5.88 ERA into Friday night’s contest. New York’s bullpen took care of the rest, resulting in the seventh time this season the Sox have been blanked, losing the teams’ series opener, 6-0, at Yankee Stadium.

Since scoring 10 runs against the Indians 13 games ago, the Red Sox have totaled a major league-worst 32 runs.

“We’ve got to continue to put up quality at-bats, continue to take the relentless approach that this group has been known for,” said Red Sox manager John Farrelll. “First three innings tonight, we get the leadoff guy on but really nothing much to follow. In a couple situations, we’ve got a man in scoring position. The base hit with a man in scoring position has been elusive; it was again tonight. We felt like coming into this ballgame we had a chance to do something against their starter, but he made some pitches against us.”

When asked if his team had exhibited the approach he had referenced, Farrell said, “At times. To say up and down for a full nine innings of work, no, when you put a zero up on the board. We had a number of pitches that looked to be on the plate that we ended up popping up on the infield. To Nuno’s credit, he kept throwing a number of strikes early in the count. We didn’t get a chance to work deep counts as we typically do. Unable to bunch some hits together.”

Other than a three-run fourth inning — which was spurred on back back-to-back homers — Workman proved reliable once again. The Red Sox‘ starter finished his seven-inning outing giving up four runs, striking out five and walking a pair. He threw 108 pitches.

“With the exception of the 1-1 fastball to Kelly Johnson (the first home run in the fourth inning), he gave us a solid outing,” Farrell said of Workman. “Seven quality innings with the exception of the one pitch which, in a one-run ballgame, they go up 3-0 on a night when it was difficult for us to get anything going offensively, it loomed large. At the time, you didn’t necessarily think that was going to be the case.”

What went wrong (and right) for the Red Sox in their 44th loss of the season:

WHAT WENT WRONG

– Workman equaled his home runs allowed total for the season in one inning, allowing back-to-back homers in the fourth inning to Johnson and Brett Gardner. It was Johnson’s first home run since May 4. The long balls were also the Yankees‘ 40th and 41st home runs at home, giving them 17 more than the Sox’ total at Fenway Park.

– The Red Sox failed to do any damage against Yankees’ starter Vidal Nuno, who came in having allowed 13 runs over 9 1/3 innings in his previous two starts. This time, Nuno tossed 5 2/3 innings, giving up no runs and just two hits in throwing 91 pitches.

– Stephen Drew‘s struggles were prolonged with help from Ichiro Suzuki. The Yankees‘ right fielder robbed Drew of a sure base-hit in the second inning, diving to snatch the inning-ending out in the right-center field gap. Drew would snap an 0-for-29 with an opposite field double in the seventh inning.

– Jackie Bradley continued to strikeout at an alarming rate, having whiffed at least once in 33 of his lsat 49 games (dating back to May 1). The outfielder went 0-for-3 with a punch-out Friday night.

– Reliever Craig Breslow was supbar once again, this time giving up a two-run shot to Brian McCann in the eighth. The lefty came into his outing with more walks (18) than strikeouts (17), while allowing opponents a .392 on-base percentage. (Lefties totaled a .400 OBP against him.)

WHAT WENT RIGHT

– The Brock Holt Show continued, this time setting up stage in right field. With his family in attendance, Holt robbed Brian Roberts of a potential home run in the second inning. The Sox’ right fielder leaped up at the last second and snatched the fly ball from Roberts off the top of the wall. He also made a diving catch on a sinking liner by Carlos Beltran in the eighth inning. Offensively, Holt reached base twice, walking and doubling.

“Roberts hit a high flyball. That’s kind of the ones you can get back to the wall and find it,”Holt said. “I was able to do that and keep the ball in my sight. I didn’t jump very high. I didn’t really have to. I don’t even know if that was going to be a home run or not. I couldn’t tell. Just fortunate to catch that. the other one, just kind of got off the end and kind of started back a little bit and then ran to the spot and slid a little bit and was able to get there.”